It’s the most wonderful time of the year, though it’s also one of the most tedious for Animal Crossing: New Leaf players . This is the third month in a row with some kind of holiday event that, while entertaining and rewarding, requires quite a bit of footwork. December means Christmas, and that means Toy Day.
Animal Crossing games take place in real time. When a holiday is happening in the real world, the game usually has some kind of complimentary event. This means Toy Day and Jingle’s day are preparing for their grand debut as Christmas and Santa inch closer. Events are more interactive in Animal Crossing: New Leaf compared to prior installments, so that means players must start preparing now.
Jingle is Santa’s counterpart in Animal Crossing: New Leaf . He’s a festive reindeer with a red coat, sparkly eyes, and a sack filled with toys. He arrives on the train every Toy Day to dole out presents, but he’s not going to be doing any of the work this year. This time it’s up to each mayor (or human resident) to spread joy. Which means preparing for the December 24, 2013 event now.
The first thing all Animal Crossing: New Leaf players need to participate in Toy Day is a Santa outfit. Your neighbors aren’t going to accept the gifts Jingle sends you out to deliver if you don’t look the part. That means keeping an eye on the Able Sisters store for Santa suit parts. Labelle sells the Santa hat, beard, and boots, and typically has one per day up until December 24. Mabel and Sable’s section has the coat and pants. Once you have all the parts, suit up.
That’s only step one in the line of Toy Day preparations. The next thing to do is talk to everyone leading up until December 24. The animals will give you hints about what they want for Toy Day, stating the color and kind of item they want. For example, Deirdre from my town wants a blue appliance. Keep a list, because this is important. Fortunately, the 3DS has a note-taking function available off of the home screen that’s perfect for this.
When Toy Day rolls around, talk to Jingle while you have the Santa suit on to get the magic bag of gifts. Then, go and talk to every single villager in town. Your goal is to give everyone exactly what they want. For each item you dole out, Jingle will give you a piece of Jingle or Festive furniture. That’s not what you’re really shooting for here, because Tommy and Timmy’s store in town sells the Jingle series of furniture throughout December. What you’re really going for is the grand prize.
If a player manages to deliver every Toy Day gift to the right animal on Christmas Eve, Jingle will send a very special gift in the mail on Christmas. You’ll get his photo. Photos are pretty much the ultimate show of friendship in Animal Crossing: New Leaf , with ordinary villagers only giving them out if you’re best friends and event characters only providing one after a certain objective has been met. They provide a handy point bonus when placed in a room, so it never hurts to try and earn one.
Once you’ve made the rounds and earned your Jingle picture, Toy Day is over. From there, you can just relax and enjoy the rest of the month. The snow should already be down on the ground, so make some snowmen and women. Maybe grab a glowstick from the Nooklings’ store. All that’s left to do is kick back and wait for New Year’s Eve.